Westlawn is a good example of a local cemetery keeping up with the times. As you enter, you see…read morewhat many would consider the traditional cemetery, a tree lined space with ground burials although most of the tomestones are laid flat rather than standing. As you proceed and look to the right, you see the area decidated to the New Orleans style above ground family crypts. Closer to the back of the cemetery grounds, you come across the newer areas where the community mausoleums with crypt space for caskets, and cremation niches were built. They are actually quite pretty with the stained glass windows and all. Something for everyone.

Really nice Westbank cemetery. Most of the graves are in ground, so it's not as ornate as Metairie…read moreCemetery or the like, but there are plenty of trees and there's a big cross that overlooks the entire place that is very nice. The shade from the trees makes the entire place really cozy, which sounds a little creepy but it's actually a really nice spot.

Originally known as Tememe Derech in 1858, this Jewish cemetery was renamed Gates of Prayer in…read more1939. Currently, it serves the Gates of Prayer, Beth Israel and Chevra Thilim congregations. Entance to the historic cemetery is via cast-iron gates at the cemetery's main entrance on Canal Street. Call in advance to arrange a visit. Graves are arranged in long rows perpendicular to the street. As New Orleans required above ground burials, most of the graves are composed of marble-frame raised beds filled with soil. This satisfies the Jewish tradition that the deceased be buried in the ground while meeting the challenges posed by to New Orleans' high water table. Some tombs are quite ornate with the memorial architecture reflecting the surrounding Catholic cemeteries, yet all the graves face east toward Jerusalem keeping with Jewish tradition. The cemetery is spread throughout the surrounding neighborhood and abuts other cemeteries which leads to very irregular borders and an interesting juxtaposition that highlights the variety of religious burial traditions in the city.

Our first stop on the cemetery tour, Gates of Prayer is one of New Orleans' older cemeteries. It's…read morea little different in that there are both the New Orleans style aboveground burials but also a number of below-ground that are covered with poured concrete. As you likely know, New Orleans floods. This presents a conflict between the requirement to be buried six feet down and the likelihood of water coming along and upsetting the cemetery. The cemetery is not open to the public and our tour did not go inside, but we got here when some others were here and the gate was unlocked. It is quiet and mostly peaceful because of the busy street going past. [Review 14218 overall, 1540 of 2020, number 36 in Louisiana.]

Our family recently buried a loved one in the St. St. Patrick #3 cemetery in the Queen of All…read moresaints Cremation Garden (for cremation burials). This is a very beautifully designed garden filled with rose bushes and flowering shrubs and crape myrtle trees nestled among the wandering pathways. It is so serene and beautiful. There is a covered pavilion for shelter in the rain. The office staff, and in particular Mr. Longa are just so helpful and kind which goes a long way to ease family emotions at such a time. We could not have been more satisfied.

Beautiful cemetery. One of three, off to the side, it's about the same size as the other two. Old…read moregraves, a sense of serenity, and well worth walking around. It is near many other large cemeteries, though this set of 3 could combine and still not be as large as the nearby ones. It is very interesting to walk around, and it is a thing of beauty. It is very well maintained, and has the office that supports all three of them. I would suggest walking around. The older spots are unique and have an appeal to them. Some of them are enclosed in little gates. There is a spot near the main entrance for a memorial to abortion fetus'. I am not about to take a stand for or against abortions here, but let me just state for the record that I find this disconcerting, but these are run by the Catholics, so, do with that what you will, just be warned it is there. For more information, I am setting up links to let you look at the research yourself on when these were started. https://nolacatholiccemeteries.org/st-patrick-cemetery-3 http://www.neworleansonline.com/directory/location.php?locationID=1951 gonola.com/2014/11/03/nola-history-the-irish-cemeteries.html

I cannot say enough about the compassion and professionalism shown by Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral…read moreHome during one of the hardest moments our family has ever faced. When my brother reached the end of his life, Kevin was there for us every step of the way. His kindness, patience, and genuine care made an incredibly painful time a little easier to bear. He treated my brother with dignity and handled every detail with such respect, while also supporting our family with warmth and understanding. Kevin went far beyond what we expected, making sure we felt guided and comforted during a time when we needed it most. Our family will always be grateful for the compassion and professionalism he showed us. I visited four other funeral homes during my stay in town, and I made my decision pretty much as soon as we met. I felt the kindness of Kevin, and I knew my brother would be taken care of. Thank you Kevin, thank you for your kind words to my mother, and thank you for guiding my brother during his last moments on earth. If anyone has any worries about end of life care in New Orleans rest easy, Kevin will take care of you with grace and a kind smile. From my family, thank you, thank you, thank you.

The funeral itself was nice, i wont lie. But the experience i went through after was completely…read morehorrible. My son passed away and I did not communicate with the mother after the funeral (personal reasons) but i did arranged my own plans for his ashes (he was cremated). Out of the blue the mother contacts me letting me know she had her half of my son's ashes and i purchased a necklace to put my some of my half in.. I was shocked i was not aware of this by the funeral home but yet content i was finally able to have my son's remains with me. I call the funeral home to let them know i wanted to go and get the rest of his ashes to fill the necklace, just to find out they were not there and the mother took it all. I asked why they did not communicated with me, they said because the mother said "she was going to take care of it" and instead of reassuring and calling me, they decided to believe her, came to find out the mother had my son's ashes for 2 weeks since the time she picked them up to the time she told me she had them doing who knows what with them. I was furious and wanted to talk to the owner or a manager, they were not there so they would give me a call back and never did. The irresponsibility from this funeral home its incredible. 2 weeks and i had no idea if the mother actually gave me half of my son's remains or whatever she liked since this funeral home did not do their job correctly and i will have to live with that question in my mind for the rest of my days. Shame on this people.

It was a real pleasure to work with Alexandra. She was very quick to respond and went above and…read morebeyond to assist everyone. She was very compassionate and professional. We were very impressed with her and will highly recommend her.

Garden of memories is a wonderful business to work with for services for your loved ones…read more The staff is very professional and knowledgeable about navigating the process. Stephanie Manos was very helpful and conscientious about keeping in touch to complete the smallest details in helping me plan for my family funeral needs in the present and future.

It's well kept and well supplied with things like stepladders and sinks for putting flowers at…read moregraves. And it's been that way for years and years.

For the absolutely unreasonable level scrutiny that one must go through to visit their loved one,…read moreand enduring verbal abuse from who I could only assume was a Maintenance Man, the grounds really are falling into disrepair. There's visible trash on the property, and portions of grass that are dead or dying, and headstones and face plates to crypts having broken or fallen down. For how aggressive the staff is towards visiting family, you think they'd take better care of the place. It really is a shame when such beautiful and historic sites in New Orleans aren't taken care of and that's evident here at Hope Mausoleum. Just a shame.

2nd and last stop for our night cemetery tour. Our guide, Henry, told us very little about it until…read morewe got here: it is for those who can't afford to bury their dead, but mostly for unclaimed Hurricane Katrina victims. My heart got heavy the more I learned about this place. I'm incredibly grateful to those sponsors, bankrollers, patrons (call them what you will) for putting their money together and building this beautiful area as the final resting place for those who were less fortunate. At least they're given some kind of recognition, even if many of them were unidentified. Just for fun, Henry gave us the option of using dowsing rods to communicate with spirits. Not really sure how I felt about it, but I tried it anyway. He says ask yes-no questions: if it doesn't move, then there are no spirits around. If it moves outward, the answer is NO. If it moves inward and crosses, then the answer is YES. I asked three questions which were all answered with YES. (1: Is anyone here?, 2: Are you at peace?, 3) Would you like us to offer prayers?) I'll take that specific experience at face value. It's a place to visit if touring NOLA, even to just pay respects to this group of departed.

Before Hurricane Katrina, Charity Hospital was where many medical students and residents trained…read moreand provided care to New Orleanians. This cemetery, originally known as Potter's Field, was purchased by Charity Hospital in 1848. Historically, it has been the final resting place for the unclaimed deceased from throughout the city, including victims of yellow fever and influenza epidemics. Currently, the ashes of those who have donated their remains to the Louisiana State Anatomical Board for medical education are also buried here. Prior to the construction of the Hurricane Katrina Memorial mausoleums, the cemetery was one of the few graveyards in the region for those unidentified victims. The Hurricane Katrina Memorial remembers those who perished as a result of Hurricane Katrina which struck on August 29, 2005. The damage caused by Hurricane Katrina led to one of the greatest natural and man-made disaster in our nation's history. Today, the Charity Hospital Cemetery is a peaceful, resting place. It is nestled near The Gates of Prayer and St. Patrick's Cemeteries. There is free street parking available or take the Canal Street Streetcar.

Small and well organized cemetery in St Bernard way off the beaten path. The plots are well cared…read morefor and in the 30 minutes or so I was here people came in to place flowers and talk to loved ones. Very nice. Great thing to see during this time of social distancing we are in now. I enjoyed the drive out here and the moment of quiet. According to the St Bernard parish website, this is one of the oldest cemeteries in the area. I'm not 100% sure, but it seems legit. https://www.visitstbernard.com/listings/play/san-bernardo-national-scenic-byway